Zoey Deschanel has *such* a lovely voice and she can really open it up much more than you'd guess from the album. It's also got a very distinctive edge to it which really lends itself to this country/folky type of tune. The full band sets often felt like a throwback to June Carter or Patsy Cline. But when she and M.Ward did some one-on-one stuff, it had a more modern feel. Equally entertaining either way, I really liked when they did some harmonizing/trading vocals back and forth. I haven't been able to get into his solo stuff, but I though his voice worked well in counterpoint to hers.

The kind of show you just come out of HAPPY. So happy that you wind up drinking and talking and drinking and laughing and drinking [and eating mini corn dogs and doing karaoke] and getting home with only a few hours to go before the alarm goes off? Perhaps.

If they are coming to your town, they come very highly recommended.

Oh! and they played two new songs that were both really great! Yay!

Rogue Wave - Third time I've seen them this [fiscal/school] year so nothing very surprising. Still, a fun performance despite being so early in the day. Can't really get enough of the lead's voice as I've mentioned before.

The Kills - Yay!!! They were awesome. Totally enjoyable set. Loud and sassy and even better than on the album. Woot.

The Black Keys - They fall somewhere between the Raconteurs and (early) Rolling Stones. Rock with a bit of rollicky blues-i-ness. I thought they sounded great even though I was perfectly happy to be far from the stage where I could sit when I wanted to. The kind of performance that when it ended I immediately wanted to go buy every album. Really solid.

Cat Power - She was on what I consider the worst stage at Lollapalooza. There's concrete, you have to stare into the sun, there's a walkway/sidewalk right in what would be great seating. Yeah, I just couldn't deal. She sounded fine but I bailed for the record store, although technically I was listening to her the whole time I was there / I just wasn't devoted to the performance.

The Raconteurs - These guys are just great live. But as with Rogue Wave and Cat Power, I've seen them before, I knew what to expect. Jack White is really a great performer, he brings out the best in the rest of the band. A solid, enjoyable show.

Radiohead - Well, you must be aware by now that I'm not Radiohead's greatest fan. In fact, I find them hardly listenable at this point. And I've already seen them at a festival and not thought it was a good venue for them. So I listened to song one, nice, cool lights, fine. And then song two started. And it was a song I didn't like. The call of home and shower and bed was too strong. See ya later, Thom Yorke, maybe next time you'll impress me enough to stay. But not today.

So there you have it. Saw two new performances and enjoyed them, four repeat performances and enjoyed two of them, and was generally the lamest Lollapaloozer-er ever. It *could* be I'm just getting too old and cranky for this shit.

The first three I whipped through in a weekend and found them exhilarating and entertaining DESPITE the sloppy writing. So perhaps I had a harder time with this one because I wasn't already on Bella's emotional rollercoaster when I started. Whatever the reason, there were a number of things I just found too ludicrous here to really enjoy. But I sort of wondered going in if that would be the case.

As an adult, I can see all the weaknesses. As a teenager, I'm sure I would have [purposely] completely overlooked them and been swept right along.

A follow-up of sorts to her debut "In the Woods", taking the #2 character from that book and putting the focus on them (and I hear an auxiliary character in this book will be the focus of her third).

Really intriguing mystery, characters that become sooooo real... The descriptions are rich and thick, and the emotions are layered and tangled.

French has just written two of the most interesting, and unusual, mysteries out there.

"The Amnesiac" by Sam Taylor.
Recommended by Very Short List.

• Lipstick
  
• Film
  
• Buttloads of Summer Shandy, now proclaimed officially the Beer of Summer 2008.

Things Not in My Fridge:

• Fruit
  
• Veg
  
• Meat

Making: Trouble.

Reading: Same as last week: Volume 1 of "The Man Without Qualities" by Robert Musil.

Watching: La L'Olympics, baby. As should you be.

Listening to: The latest albums from My Morning Jacket and Carla Bruni (swoon). Back to back. And all the shit I bought in June that you might hear about tomorrow, if you're lucky.

-"Mrs. Officer" Lil Wayne.

This is actually sung as a kinda tender make-out song, or as tender as you get on a rap album, I guess, with a sing-songy sweet chorus. It really kinda cracks me up.

*"it"? or "her"? Hard to say...

Some of it is crazy funkalicious and totally Prince-worthy (or perhaps Michael Jackson when he was good). Other bits are more sexy soul Marvin Gaye jumping in. And there's even some Southern Rock influence ("I'm Amazed"). It's jazzy and funky and I'd have to say downright spirited. Love it. LOVE IT.

And if you haven't bought yourself a copy of Jim James covering "Goin' to Acapulco" off the I'm Not There soundtrack, I'd highly recommend that as well. Him crooning that onstage at the bizarro funeral; his voice just blew me away.

• A massive, massive headache.

Things I had this weekend that I am NOT having today.

• Fun.

Natasha Kai (olympics, soccer) has some seriously awesome tattoos.

I would really have laughed to hear Jay-Z doing "Wonderwall" at Glastonbury. The whole story behind that just cracks me up.

I already knew about James Franco's writing (one degree of separation/my friend took a class with him) but this article makes me like him even more. That, combined with Cinnamon's positive review, MIGHT be enough to make me pay to see Pineapple Express. But then again, I don't believe I want to put any $$ in Judd Apatow's pocket.

I'm sure I've never bought a Randy Newman album but I kinda want to buy this one just as protest against the Bush Administration. Singles: "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" and "Feels Like Home" (which you already know a cover of if you were a Pacey's Pond fan).

This review of Dr. Dog "Fate" actually made me buy the album over the weekend.

But hmmm I can't decide about the new Conor Oberst. Anyone got an opinion on that one for me?

Interesting article on Jim James/My Morning Jacket. I am head over heels for his "Goin' to Acapulco" cover on the I'm Not There soundtrack and I may have just started listening to the new MMJ obsessively.

My friend Megan recently posted a list of favorite covers. Here are some of mine:

• "Only You" Joshua Radin (covering Yaz)
  
• "Baby Got Back" Jonathan Coulton (covering Sir Mix-a-lot, don't ya know)
  
• "Build Me Up [Buttercup]" Rhymefest & ODB (covering...some old song?)
  
• "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" Everlast (covering Neil Young)
  
• "Faith" Boy Least Likely To (George Michael)
  
• "Crazy" Raconteurs (Gnarls Barkley)
  
• "Jessie's Girl" Matt the Electrician (Rick Springfield)
  
• "Take It on the Run" The Folk Yous (REO Speedwagon & my favorite karaoke song!)
  
• "The Glory of Love" A New Found Glory (Peter Cetera?)
  
• "Walk Away" Eliza Carthy (Ben Harper)
  
• "True Love Will Find You in the End" Beck (Daniel Johnston)
  
• "Tiny Dancer" Ben Folds (Elton John)
  
• "Thin Line" Indigo Girls (Gerard McHugh?)
  
• "Take Me Out" The Magic Numbers (Franz Ferdinand)
  
• "Since U Been Gone" Ted Leo (Kelly Clarkson)
  
• "Ms. Jackson" The Vines (Outkast)
  
• "Helplessly Hoping" Ride (CSNY - sounds so much like the original, it's barely a cover!)
  
• "Give a Little Bit" GooGoo Dolls (Supertramp - hmmm, same issue as above)